Box and pin separator for fastener stringers



April l, 1569 L. H. MORIN 3,435,489

BOX AND PIN SEPARATOR FOR FASTENER STRINGERS Filed Dec. e, 1966 v INVENTOR l ou/s MoH/N i I BY United States Patent Office 3,435,489 Patented Apr. 1, 1969 3,435,489 BOX AND PIN SEPARATOR FOR FASTENER STRINGERS Louis H. Morin, Bronx, N.Y., assignor to Coats & Clark Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 599,422 Int. Cl. A44b 19/24 U.S. Cl. 24-205.11 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention (1) In addition to the invention as briefly noted in the abstract, the invention deals with separable fastener stringers, wherein the scoops or elements of the stringers are disposed upon one surface of the stringers and the pin and box parts are cast directly upon the stringers and in such manner that the pin part is made of such thickness as to pass through the slider in a manner common to the movement of the scoops or elements through the Islider and the box part is formed to accommodate, in its channel, the pin part. Further, the invention deals with a separator structure wherein both the box and pin parts include extended plate portions disposed on one surface of the Stringer tapes and wherein the -box part includes a rib-like cam for guidance of the slider for positioning on the box part, preparatory to establishing coupling engagement of the pin part.

(2) With regard to prior art, generally speaking, separators incorporating box and pin parts are generally known. However, insofar as employing a structure of this type and kind utilizing the stop lug disassociated from the pin member of the pin part together with a channel in the box part opening through both ends of the box part, to applicants knowledge, this defines a new structure in box and pin separators and applicant knows of no prior art.

Summary of the invention With pin and box separators, difficulties have been experienced in proper insertion of the pin part in the box part preparatory to coupling the stringers. One of the objects of the invention deals with the provision of a definite stop to insure proper coupling of the pin part with the box part. Still further the invention deals in a novel method of forming the pin and box parts directly upon at least portions of scoops or coupling elements retained on the stringers to thus establish a more positive anchorage of the box and pin parts on the Stringer tapes.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged plan and sectional view of a separator structure comprising box and pin parts made according to my invention and illustrating the slider in the coupled position of said parts.

FIG. 2 is a View, generally similar to FIG. 1, showing the box and pin end portion of the stringers coupled after movement of the slider along the stringers and illustrating a complete section through the channel portion of the box part.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic section on the line 3-3 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 4 is a partial end view looking in the direction of the arrow 4 of FIG. 2 on a reduced scale.

In illustrating one adaptation and use of my invention, a pair of stringers 10, 10 are employed having coil-type scoops or coupling elements 11, 11 disposed on one surface of the stringers and attachment of the scoops or coupling elements 11, 11 ybeing reinforced by lines of stitchings 12, 12', as best seen in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

Molded or cast directly on the surface 13 of the stringer tape 10 is the pin part, generally identified by the reference character 14, this part including a pin member 15 formed upon the coupling end portion of the tape 10. Integral With the pin member 15 is an extended anchor plate portion 1-6, preferably having depressed or recessed portions 17 adjacent the pin member and other recessed portions extending throughout the plate 16 defined by the crossed ribbing, as diagrammatically seen at 18. Also integrally formed on the surface of the plate 16 in spaced relation to the pin member 15 is a raised stop lug 19, clearly shown in section in FIG. 3 of the drawing. The inner end portion of the pin member 15 is offset to form a shoulder 20, the function of which will be later described.

The box part is generally identified by the reference character 21. This box part includes a raised portion 22 and a plate portion 16', generally similar to the plate portion 16 disposed upon the surface 13 of the tape 10. Formed integrally with the raised portion 22 is a lower portion 22', note FIG. 4, which is disposed upon the lower sur-face of the Stringer tape 10 and extends onto the tape 10, as indicated in FIG. 4, when the box and pin parts are coupled.

At the side of 22 and 22 engaged by the tape 10 is formed a channel 23 extending fully through 22 and 22', as will be apparent from a consideration of FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawing. By employing a channel of this type and kind, molding or casting of the box part 21 directly upon the IStringer tape 10 is facilitated.

In molding or casting the box part, the raised portion 22 is fashioned to 4form laterally extending flanges 24, 24. Again considering FIG. 4 of the drawing, it will appear that between the lower surface 25 of the flange 24 and the upper surface 26 of the lower part 22 of the box part is formed a channel, opening through the side of the box part, through which the Stringer tape 10 and the plate 16 is adapted to pass in coupling the pin part with the box part.

Also molded integrally with the plate 1-6 and raised portion 22 of the box part 21 is a raised rib-like cam 27 for guidance of a conventional lslider 28 into position on the box part 21, as indicated in FIG. 1 of the drawing. This guidance is further effected by the raised bar portion 29 extending from the portion 22 to the inner end of the plate 16', as clearly illustrated in FIGS. '1 and 2 of the drawing. The inner surface 30 of the bar portion 29 is in alinement with one side surface of the channel 23, as will be apparent from a consideration of FIG. 2 of the drawing. It will also be apparent that the inner end of the bar portion 29, as well as the plate 16', are slightly spaced from what can be regarded as the first scoop or coupling element 11" of the scoops or coupling elements 11.

The slider 28 or the top wall 31 thereof includes depending side flanges 32 defining, in combination with the web 33 joining the top and bottom plates of the slider, the diverging channels of the slider, as well-known in the art. The lianges 32 engage the scoops or coupling elements 11, 11', as well as the pin member 175 of the 3 pin part 14 and the raised bar 29 of the box part 21, the latter being illustrated in FIG. l of the drawing. At 34 is diagrammatically illustrated, in part, the pull of the slider 28.

In coupling the pin member 15 of the pin part 14 with the box part and in passage of the pin member 15 through the slider 28 and into the channel 23 of the box part, it will be apparent that the stop lug 19 passes laround the left side of the slider 28, as seen in FIG. ll, until the stop lug strikes the inner end of `the iiange 24. In this operation, the pin member 15 is moved in the direction of the arrows, as indicated in FIG. 2 of the drawing, in bringing the shoulder 20 over the first scoop or coupling element 11, thus establishing a positive meshing or interlocking of the scoops or coupling elements, as well as preventing displacement of the pin member from the channel 23 of the box part, as and when the slider 2,8 is moved along the stringers and away from the separator defined by the pin and box parts.

While separators of the type and kind defined are apf plicable to separable fastener stringers of various constructions, it will be apparent that the pin and box parts can be formed of any suitable material and, for this reason in the diagrammatic showing, no particular material is to be identied by the cross-sectioning employed. The simple line of sectioning is illustrated to simplify the illustration. However, the box and pin separator can be formed of molded plastic material and particularly so if the scoop or coupling elements employed are of a similar material. The present diagrammatic illustration of the stringers and the scoop or coupling elements of the stringers is applicable to the plastic type of construction and, here, it is to be kept in mind that the showing of the scoop or coupling elements is simply diagrammatic, as such elements are generally known in the art.

With the coil-type of coupling elements diagrammatically disclosed, stringers of this type and kind can be formed in a continuous process and the pin and box parts attached at spaced intervals in forming the desired stringer lengths. In this procedure, means will be employed to partially shear the coupling elements of the stringers substantially along the dot-dash lines 35, 3'5' of FIG. 2 to remove parts of these elements, while still retaining portions of the elements particularly those engaged by the stitchings, as at 12, 12 in establishing stations or gaps for the reception of the molded or cast pin and box parts. With this procedure, the remaining portions of the coupling elements will be completely housed within the pin member 15 of the part 14 and within the box part 22 or that part thereof alined with the bar portion 29. Considering FIG. 4 of the drawing, at 11a is indicated in dotted lines the remaining portion of the trimmed element which is disposed within the pin member 15. In this showing, the stitchings, as at 1'2, will be present, but are not illustrated. This establishes a secure keying or anchorage of the pin member as well as the pin part as well as the box p-art of the separator upon the respective stringer tapes. This anchorage or coupling is further amplified by the relatively wide plate portions 16, 16 and the depressions, as at 17.

yIn this automated procedure of forming the pin and box part separators along separable fastener stringers, the cost of production of the resulting end product, namely the separable fastener, is materially economized. With other types and kinds of separable fasteners, pin and box part separators of the kind under consideration can be employed on one end portion of predetermined formed stringer lengths, either in dealing with these stringer lengths separately or where the tapes are formed with spaced scoop or coupling element lengths with spaced blank tape portions separating these lengths.

With separable fasteners of the type and kind diagrammatically illustrated and disposed on one surface only of the stringer tapes, the pin members 15 are made of a vertical thickness substantially equal to the corresponding thickness of the scoops or coupling elements, so as to establish free passage of the pin member through the channels of the slider and into the channel of the box part of the separator. The last named movement is positively checked and controlled by location and positioning of the stop lug 19 integral with the plate 16 of the pin part 14.

The pin member 15 and the bar portion 29 extend longitudinally of the stringers and guide the slider in movement thereof to the inner end of the raised portion 22 which checks this slider movement in the operation of separating the stringers by withdrawal of the pin member 1'5 from the channel 23 and through one side of the slider 28. It will also be apparent that, when the pin and box parts are coupled, the stringer 10, including the pin member 15, extend the full lentgh of the projecting channelled portion of the box part.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim aS new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A separator for separable fasteners employing stringers having interengaging coupling means `iixed to and spaced longitudinally of adjacent side edges of the stringers, said separator comprising a pin part, including a pin member, xed to said side edge and one end portion of a first stringer, a box part fixed to said side edge and one end portion of a second stringer, said box part having a projecting channelled portion for rcceiving the first stringer and a pin member of the pin part in coupling said stringers, the first stringer including stop means laterally spaced from said pin part and adapted when pin and box are fully engaged to operatively engage only the exterior of the box part near one corner thereof in checking coupling engagement of the pin part with the box part, said pin part, box part and stop means adapted to permit said pin part to rotate about said stop means when positioned in said box part so that said pin part may be inserted through a slider which is positioned adjacent the box part, said pin part including means integrally joining a pin member with said stop means, and said box part including means on the exterior thereof for guidance of a slider into engagement with a raised portion of the box part in positioning the slider for reception of the first stringer, including said pin member, in the operation of coupling said stringers by movement of said stop means of the first stringer into position checked by the exterior of said box part.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,015,034 9/1935 Iohnson 24-20511 2,263,481 11/ 1941 Austin 24-20`511 3,170,207 2/1965 Morin 24-205.11

FOREIGN PATENTS 258,963 4/ 1964 Australia.

791,755 12/1935 France. 1,429,354 1/1966` France. 1,440,009 4/1966 France.

865,133 1/ 1953 Germany. 1,024,73 3 4/ 1966 Great Britain.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner. 

